The Best Restaurants in Balderstone, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom (2025)

First time visiting "The Old School BBQ Bus" an this place surely didn't disappoint!!! Lip smackingly good!!😋 Was on a mission for some barbecue as I had a right hankering for a good feed!! Have tried the likes of Red's & Hickery's bbq but fancied trying somewhere new - other places are good, but the same stuff is a bit repetitive.. I came across this place whilst searching online! An Well, I think this place has become the new go too!! Absolutely spot on! 🤩🤩 the food was amazing an im not jsut saying that. 🌭🍗🍖🥩🍔. This is probably some of the best bbq I had since being in the state 🇺🇸. Real true orthentic favours!! The meats has such a depth of smoke from being cooked low an slow, just take the bbq to the next level. 😍😍🍖 We tried the pitmaster for 2 as well as the spam fritters & Rattle snake bits 🐍 as a side.!! Thought this was the best option to get a feel for what they had to offer, as the menu is quite vast a bit spoiled for choice!! It surely doesn't disappoint that was for sure. The portion sizes are massive, Border line needed to be wheeled out was that full. Left with doggy bags for the bits we couldn't manage. Can confirm that kts just as nice the next day!! Nom nom nom 😋😋. Also, don't forget to check out there, "Hangman Sauce," it's not for the faint harted, that's for sure 🤯🥵🥵.. blow ya @#£# head off!!! 🤯🤯😭🥵🥵.. They do offer a in house food challenge with this sauce playing centre stage!! a bit of a Man v Food kind thing, but be warned ⚠️ it's not for the faint harted!!. Sauce is made up off Scorpion Chilli, Caroline Reaper & gost extract, it's not be messed about with. Seriously Seriously blows ya head off.!!! 🤯🤯🤯... 🌶🌶🌶🌶🔥🔥 Must admit this place is set in the most unlikely of locations, and not quite what ya expect!! Once your inside the main building, you are in a full-on American themed bar / restaurant!! Place is very rustic themed, all the cooking is done on an old school bus! Place very much dose carry a wood shack kind vib - like some deep rooted louisiana forgotten moon shine hut!! Seriously rustic, but dose add to the the whole experience.. Deffenlty be returning an getting our bbq fix!! Certainly be recommending to family & friends .. 🥰✌️..

Came here few times, and the last time after having seen them on “Come dine with me: The Professionals”. The place is really good, reminds me of when i visited the US. Service was friendly. Food was really tasty and well cooked. Chef came out to ask us for a feedback as we ordered something that she only recently launched on the new menu, which, in my opinion, is a really good sign as they are open minded and wanting to improve. Our mixed meat platter was amazing. Says that feeds 2 but I’m sure it’s enough for 3 people. Great vegetarian options to choose from. Would definitely recommend.

The place is fantastic, nice atmosphere, friendly staff. The brisket was dry, the rest of the pitmaster tray was pretty good! Finally a REAL Bbq place in Manchester!

Three of us ate at the la mancha Friday evening, a very warm welcome (food was amazing thanks to the amazing female chef who works there) it was busy but didn't have to wait long for our food. This is our second time eating there since Christmas and will definitely be going back.

First time visiting here, every dish was amazing, fresh and so flavourful. Felt a little unwelcome upon walking in but this was more than made up for by the very friendly and attentive service by the waitress assigned to us. Atmosphere felt very authentic.

Food was amazing,good company, loved the lamb tagine, waitress very attentive, owner very relaxed

Wow, just wow!!! We did not know what we wanted to eat and found this amazing place by accident. Staff was just fabolous , chatting, joking , very passionate about place. Thanks to them atmosphere is excellent. Chef is making perfect Italian food. Lobster ravioli🤤🤤🤤..... just gorgeous. And you like authentic Tiramisu , it should be definitely your choice. Highly recommended for romantic date, family meeting , parties , little dinner. Big plus- you can take doggy bag🤩🤩 No waste😊

Just had an amazing new year's eve meal at La Scala. First time we have been and we would definitely be going again. Friendly attentive staff brilliant service with amazing food

Much bigger than you initially think when you dine here. Went on a Saturday night and the place was packed. Lots of people busy tables etc. Staff were very pleasant and friendly. On the downside, our booking was for 5 people not 3. No tables. Waited just over an hour for a table and a further hour for our meal. Certain menu items had run out. We were asked what deserts we would like, when we hadn't even had our main course!! A gentleman served us our food or shall I say 'shoved' our plates at us. He must have been having a bad evening. The young girl server's were extremely nice, removed plates and cutlery etc whilst smiling at us all the time, I must highlight their good manners and service. We were overcharged for items we did not have. However, I did say they were extremely busy. We had some cocktails and they were delicious! The food was also very nice. City centre prices to mention. We would go back for a comparison visit because the food was good when we eventually received it. Unfortunately, it was our first visit and found it to be extremely chaotic.

We had our wedding in the cabin and we couldn't have asked for better. The communication and planning prior to the day was great and Lisa and the staff were accommodating with my requests. It was made simple and easy. On the day of our wedding we had nothing to worry about, staff were great and attentive, food was amazing and our guests were impressed with the venue as a whole. Thank you to everyone, especially Kaylee for making our special day one to remember

Been back after covid and after they had a fire. The food was Soo much better then I remember before very good portion sizes, amazing flavours and reasonably priced. Loved the gyoza and burger very tasty! Excellent service and very attentive staff. With each course they came and asked if everything was ok and made sure our glasses were never empty. Superb evening

We hired the cabin for a hen do this weekend and paid per head for food and wine, and what an experience! Absolutely amazing service and incredible food! Would highly recommend the cabin to anyone looking for a small party! The staff were so helpful and attentive all day! Thank you so much xx

It must have been the best oyster I’ve ever had! It took it from a 4 to a 5 star. The dessert as well. Great combination taste wise and beautifully presented. Through those two dishes I was in heaven. The rib of beef was good and well presented as well, but the wild mushrooms on truffled toast was a bit too heavy for my liking. It was too cold in the room, and the service could have been better. It didn’t seem that coordinated or interested in their guests. Though the guy at the entrance was really friendly. This was in June.

Visited Wood for my birthday with my partner. Overall, we were both so impressed with our visit! We loved the atmosphere, the music, the staff and the selection on the menu. They were playing nostalgic pop rock music and it just felt so relaxed and non-pretentious, really added to our enjoyment! The staff were all super friendly and couldn’t do enough for us! The food was absolutely delicious, very wide selection - we were struggling to choose! Highly recommend the venison tartare, the pork main and the salted caramel tart! Also the cocktails are fantastic!

Went to Wood for my birthday dinner, when we came in we were greeted by staff and they were very pleasant and friendly. We were seated in the waiting area while we waited on our table and ordered a bottle of wine, the table we were sat at was very wobbly and the wine was shaking out of the glasses as it was being poured. Little things I usually wouldn't take heed of, but with the higher pricing of the wine and food I feel it's noticeable as part of the experience. My partner and I are vegetarian so decided to order several of the vegetarian dishes to share as we didn't fancy one of the vegetarian main courses. I must say I can't knock the food on flavour, everything was cooked exceptionally and the ingredients were truly used to extract the best from them. I will however say the portion sizes are extremely small for the price of the plates. The Pomme Anna was four very small sticks in a jar, the broccoli side was in the smallest container and although extremely delicious there was very little of it to enjoy, and the cous cous/rice portions with the courgette main were tiny. Another thing to mention is most of our food was quite cold nothing was hot. I really did enjoy the flavours but I don't think we would rush back, it lacked in areas that you expect more of from fine dining.

Came for a meal to celebrate an engagement. Jaime was an excellent waiter, a great character who couldn’t do enough for us. The food was very good, and the other staff were pleasant. Would definitely come back. Thank you!

I recently attended a work meal at Bellavista with around 30 colleagues, and I must say, the experience was absolutely stellar! We booked for an early evening on a bustling Saturday, and despite the crowd, the service was prompt and efficient, thanks to the fantastic team. The food selection catered wonderfully to both adults and children in our group, offering a wide array of choices that left no one wanting. The staff were notably attentive, ensuring our drinks and meal orders were taken and served without any delay. As a wheelchair user, I was particularly impressed with the accessibility of the venue, which provided a ramp for easy access. The quality of the food was top-notch, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the menu to anyone looking for a delightful dining experience. Bellavista truly deserves a 5-star rating!

Wow! What can I tell you? What a place - we were booked in (30+ of us) on a Saturday night. The place was packed! At least another table of 30 on our floor, another function downstairs plus walk ins. Service was fantastic and fairly prompt for such a large group, food was incredible, tasty and fresh, the beer was good too! The staff were excellent and despite clearly being extremely busy and at times stressed they were friendly and jovial. Absolutely would recommend! For a function or a nice meal.

One of our favourite restaurants. We visit regularly and are never disappointed. The staff are incredibly attentive and friendly and make special occasions fun for all! Food is outstanding and great value for money. Gorgeous setting with a great atmosphere.

Amazing food ,staff ,atmospher.jenna front of house is amazing ,cant do enough for you and always has a smile on her face.roast belly pork was to die for.nothing is to much trouble , will 100% be coming back x love the thomsons

Absolutely love coming here all the staff are so friendly and the food is to die for! Roshin is lovely and so considerate. She was amazing and always made sure that we had what we needed! Absolute 10/10 would recommend and will be coming back again! Food is always to a good standard and is presented so well😍

Great atmosphere, fantastic service and lovely food. Three of us chose the gammon steak with egg, pineapple, chips and peas from their Specials Menu. Couldn't fault it and just wish they offered gammon on their regular menu.

Perfect brunch spot with a beautiful interior. Excellent Bloody Mary, and the loaded waffles were delicious, shout out to the sausage patties. Great service and experience overall.

Our first visit and definitely won’t be our last! Amazing food, amazing atmosphere, amazing staff! Presentation is beautiful 😍 Thank you for a lovely birthday breakfast! 10/10 from us! See you again soon! X

Me and my daughter came here just before Christmas. The service was excellent. The staff went above and beyond. Great service. We were only going to stay for one drink but the service was so good we decided to stay for a few more. There was a singer too. They had a cocktail menu but did offer to make any one we wanted even if it wasn't on the list. I gave the ingredients for a Disaronno Mistletoe which is one of my favourites. They made it to perfection. They even gave us snacks. Excellent service and we will definitely return. Thank you 😊

Really nice place, the food was good, lovely and friendly staff and pretty place!

Our all times favourite Italian restaurant. Our local refuge in happiness and sadness. And I tell you what, no matter what mood you go in, you'd come out Happy! Great dishes from a fantastic chef, lovely service and lots of happy, smiley faces around every time. Definitely book to get a table. My favourite is Straccetti which comes with spaghetti and strips of beef steak, bit of chilli and garlic. Mouth watering really I tell you what though, they make a lovely bone in steak to share which really tempted me to have a second dinner! I think I'll order that big steak for myself only next time!

Amazing service and always quality food in house. But this time we did a very big take out - Food for 10. Amazing, the selection was awesome and the food went down a treat. Thank you Nico, brilliant, just brilliant. And the Meatballs vanished in 30 seconds, everyones favourite.

We've passed this place many times but only just recently dined here. It's hidden away (other than the sign you wouldn't know it's there). We were welcomed by friendly staff and a pleasant, well decorated restaurant. The food came quite quickly but it was very nice. I'd love to come back and try more of the pasta dishes 😋

Another wonderful experience at Vesuvio. Happy to help and advise with my particular wine tastes. The food is just incredible, I wish I could eat there every day!

Lovely freshly made food, nice atmosphere and lovely staff, look forward to visiting again.

Food excellent and staff friendly and efficient. One small suggestion - cheese and onion pie is tasty but it would be nice to have an imaginative alternative - our veggie friends don't want the same meal on every visit! Overall an enjoyable visit and pleasant atmosphere.